The invention concerns a device consisting of a combination of a bathtub with a shower tray according to the preamble of claim 1.
In many bathrooms there is no room for a separate shower and bath, and so baths combined with shower devices have been available for quite some time. In one extremely simple, and therefore very widely used solution, the conventional bath is fitted with a shower curtain or a folding shower cabin. In this case the shower device is a hand-held shower which can be attached to a shower holder.
The prior art also includes bathtubs that are specially shapedxe2x80x94the bottom of the bath in particularxe2x80x94in the shower area, whether at the foot end (DE 35 09 732) or in the centre (PCT/EP 89/01593). The foot end of a normal bath is usually characterised by a relatively steep inner wall, whilst the inner wall at the sitting end is less steep so that the bather can comfortably lean his or her back against it; the water outlet for the bath is normally provided somewhere in the foot zone.
One of the disadvantages of these types of shower/bath combinations is that the user has to climb over the relatively high edge of the bath to take a shower, which is not only awkward, but also dangerous for elderly or handicapped persons.
With this in mind, designers have already suggested (DE 195 03 514) leaving a gap in the side of the bath which would facilitate entry into the shower zone and could be closed off with an insertable wall component for the purpose of taking a bath. In this case, however, watertightness would pose a considerable problem. Furthermore, this design also requires a specially constructed, relatively complicated bath.
Patent DE 32 42 574, which forms the preamble of claim 1, proposes a shower tray that can be swung downwards until it comes to rest on top of an existing bathtub. This means that to take a shower, the user has to climb up the equivalent of the height of the bathtub, which requires a stool or steps.
The present invention is based on the task of providing a combination of a bathtub with a shower tray that does not have the said disadvantages of the combinations commonly available to date.
This task is solved with the aid of the features of claim 1 according to the invention. Other preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.
The invention proposes a device consisting of a combination of a bathtub with a shower tray, each of which is provided with its own water outlet or corresponding opening. The front wall of the bathtub is preferably steeper at the water outlet end, i.e. at the front end (=foot end) in relation to the bather""s seated position, than at the opposite end where the bather is seated (=back end). There is also a water inlet means for the bathtub and a vertically adjustable shower with the appropriate plumbing installations for the shower tray. This invention is firstly characterised in that, when in position B (B=Bathing), the bathtub is positioned over the shower tray in such a way that its water outlet ends up over the shower tray. A further characteristic feature of this invention is that, when in the other possible position S (S=Showering), the bath stands upright, i.e. end over end, on one of its ends, thereby freeing access to the shower tray. The final characteristic feature of this invention is that the bathtub can easily be manoeuvred from position S to position B and back again by means of a tilting and/or lifting mechanism and the application of force. An electric motor is preferably used to provide this force. A suitable mechanism is also provided for blocking the bathtub and its lifting mechanism, at least when it is in position S.
With reference to preferred position(s) of the bathtub, this invention also suggests that, when in position S, the bathtub be contrived to stand directly against one of the bathroom walls, and more specifically in such a way that its opening be directed towards the interior of the room, with its water outlet end, i.e. the steeper wall, at the bottom.
On the underside of the bathtub there are four wheels, by means of which the bathtub can be moved from position B to position S and back again. The wheels run along the edge of the shower tray and along the wall in grooves in the covers of the lifting mechanism described below.
For the lifting mechanism it is proposed that the force supplied by the motor be transmitted to a drive shaft. This drive shaft then transfers the force to two spindles by means of rotary deflections. On each of these spindles there is a coupling with an internal gear. The two couplings carry a drawbar in the middle, which is in turn connected to the bathtub. By rotating the spindles, the bathtub can therefore be raised or lowered.
At both ends of the bathtub there are also panels of different sizes, rather like the side walls of a shower cubicle, which on the one hand serve to protect against splashes of water whilst on the other hand also preventing users from being exposed to any danger from the mechanism. They also fulfill an aesthetic function; in position S, for example, the bathtub is concealed behind the panel. The gap between these two panels can be closed off by means of a sliding door when showering andxe2x80x94for safety reasonsxe2x80x94when manoeuvring the bathtub.